Student chefs rise to Twinkie Challenge

Student chefs stand next to table admiring their creations

On Monday, aspiring chefs in Lisa Valentine’s advanced culinary classes at Albany High School faced a new challenge: Design and create a gorgeous-looking dessert using a … Twinkie.

The Twinkie Challenge began with each student sketching out their ideas on paper. Blueprints in hand, students took a Twinkie and followed their design using a choice of grapes, edible flowers, powdered sugar, mint leaves, and strawberry, caramel and chocolate sauces.

A group of judges – including Career and Technical Education Principal Andrea Marques-Clark – evaluated each project, considering creativity, overall appearance (plate appeal!) and whether students followed their design plans.

The results were stunning! And you can find out the top vote-getters for each class on Tuesday.


Check out a Facebook photo collection of their great work! (You don't need a Facebook account to see the pictures linked in the highlighted text. A window may appear that says, “To see more from Albany City Schools on Facebook, log on or create an account,” but you can dismiss it by clicking “not now.”)